Dallas Cowboys Blog

Sherrington: Sean Payton will have plenty of choices more attractive than Cowboys

But for the sake of argument, let’s say that the Cowboys are secretly plotting. It’s not so far-fetched. We know for a fact that Jerry’s 70 and says his window is closing. He’s also made it abundantly clear, as recently as a pregame interview with Bob Costas on Sunday, that the GM has stocked the team with enough talent to win a Super Bowl. Misguided as it was, or grounds for a sanity hearing, it hardly came across as a vote of confidence in his 16-16 head coach.

Anyway, let’s just say Jerry’s ready to pull the trigger on hiring Payton as soon as the Super Bowl is over.

Let me ask again: Why would Payton choose the Cowboys? Let us knock down the reasons.

Because Payton owns a house in Westlake? He can live anywhere he wants at his salary. What it really says is that he doesn’t want to live in New Orleans, one reason the Saints shouldn’t expect him back. Even that isn’t the best clue. The reason Roger Goodell voided Payton’s contract was that it contained a provision giving Payton the right to leave if his general manager, Mickey Loomis, wasn’t around. You can swear by Payton’s loyalty to Tom Benson all you want, and I’m sure the warm feelings are reciprocated, but Payton tied himself to Loomis, not Benson or New Orleans.

Because Payton and Tony Romo have Eastern Illinois roots? A team with a good quarterback certainly is a good bet for a coach on the offensive side of the ball, and I’m sure Payton could get the best out of Romo if anyone could. But consider a better alternative in the NFC East alone. If Washington continues to founder, Danny Snyder might be inclined to trade Mike Shanahan for Payton. Any coach would rather build his future around Robert Griffin III than a 33-year-old Romo.

Because Payton has worked under Jerry before? It might be reason enough to rule it out. If Payton wanted Loomis as security in New Orleans, why would he come back to work under a GM who provides no buffer with an eccentric owner?

None of this is to say that Payton wouldn’t want to coach in Dallas. But why limit himself to the Cowboys when he could conceivably resurrect Philip Rivers’ career in San Diego? Or finally realize the offensive potential in Detroit?

Or work for an Eagles owner who has demonstrated uncommon loyalty to his head coach?

With what may be on the line Sunday between a couple of middling teams in Philadelphia, we might be inclined to call it the Payton Bowl. May the worst team win.

Before you get carried away, though, I feel it’s only fair to remind you that the manager Bob Short fired to hire Billy Martin was Whitey Herzog, who went on to win as many World Series as Martin did, and without the police ever getting involved.